Analysis of liver autoimmune indices in patients with trichloroethylene-induced medicamentosa-like dermatitis

Objective This study was to preliminarily analyse manifestation of liver autoimmunity in patients with trichloroethylene-induced medicamentosa-like dermatitis.

Methods Totally 15 patients, 10 cases in chronic phase and 5 patients in recovery phase, were analyzed in detail. The liver function indices, such as ALT and autoimmune hepatitis-related indices, including immunoglobulin G (IgG), antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-smooth-muscle antibody (ASMA), anti-liver-kidney-microsomes antibody (LKM-1), anti-liver-cytosol antigen type 1 antibody (LC-1), anti-soluble-liver antigen/liver-pancreas antigen antibody(SLA/LP)and anti-mitochondrial subtype 2 antibody(AMA-M2) were examined and compared between the patients in chronic phase and recovery phase.

Results The median of ALT activity of patients in the chronic phase was 49.5 U/L, which was higher than the reference value. Their IgG concentrations varied from 4.74-11.32 g/L and were in the scope of reference values, and other autoantibody indices were all negative. The median of ALT activity of patients in recovery phase was 10.0 U/L, but one patient had IgG concentration higher than the reference value and 3 cases had positive ANA, while other cases' autoantibody indices were all negative. The ALT activity of patients in the chronic phase patients was higher than that of patients in recovery phase, while the positive rate of ANA in the patients in recovery phase was higher than that of patients in chronic phase (P < 0.05).

Conclusion Results indicated that patients in chronic phase had damage of liver function but no occurrence of autoimmunity; the patients in recover phase had normal liver function, but some cases had occurrence of the autoimmune indices.